AN: This is a birthday gift for the lovely Sableunstable. I'm a little late (25 minutes my time) but this will hopefully be updated and finished within the week.
I swear all the clovers in the world looked out for me when this particular friendship took place. I LOVE YOU, Sable.
...
She was running late.
How was she running late with her new trinket, she couldn't say. Time was somehow slipping away even faster and it was the first day of class! Fine, so, maybe she had been to Divination and Muggle Studies, still, time wasn't meant to go by this quickly. Arithmancy, then Transfiguration and then she could have Lunch. She was starving for some reason and she couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for Ron.
If this is how he goes about life I could almost understand his half-famished attitude, she thought.
Then she recalled how Ron had shoved food down his throat just that morning, as if the food would run out any minute, his table manners so abysmal she had lost her appetite. Perhaps that was why she was in her current hunger predicament. She decided that no amount of hunger could justify eating like a rabid beast.
She had to run now if she was to make it on time for her first lesson with Professor Vector. The professor didn't seem like she would take kindly to tardiness. Of course, she could do a half turn or a full turn to give herself some spare time, but then she'd have to wait for the class to start and she'd be further away from lunch. Also, half turns were tricky and very unreliable. Now, she only had to find an empty classroom on the seventh floor where she could use the Time Turner safely.
Almost there, you're almost there, she told herself as she rushed through the hallway.
Empty, here we go.
She had yet to grow used to the sensation of time travel. It was quite… peculiar. She hesitated before going for the knob, only to give it a sure tug.
Nothing happened. The handle wasn't giving in. She tried a little harder and still nothing.
Maybe she'd broken it somehow or she'd jammed it with all her running about, the poor thing bouncing from her neck. It was probably caught with a piece of lint. She couldn't see any, though.
One last try.
As soon as she pushed the knob the Time Turner raced between her fingers with no signs of stopping. Hermione started to panic when she realised she couldn't cease the seemingly unending turning of the timepiece. It just kept going round and round, increasing its speed as it went. The bookworm could feel the unease of time travel flow through her and she felt sick to her stomach.
One day, she'd had the blasted thing for one day.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to face the calamity that was taking place.
The ringing in her ears stopped, the sickening feeling disappeared swiftly. She'd arrived somewhen.
Opening her eyes she could tell she was still in the same empty classroom, that had thankfully remained empty. Perhaps she hadn't gone so far back, everything was going to be fine.
Cracking the door open by an inch she checked for other roaming students but the corridor appeared to be deserted.
Check right, check lef-UMPH.
She walked right into a wall of flesh, and not plush flesh at that, that smelled divine and was now staring down at her with an amused expression. Green eyes bore into her own almost with animalistic precision, searching. Searching?
"I'm terribly sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I won't hold you up any longer." She was about to give her back to him when she noticed something rather important.
Shaggy dirty blond hair, striking green irises bordered with black, or was it dark green? Beneath them dark purplish shadows that spoke of little sleep. Impressive build, really, for someone so young, he clearly played Quidditch. Tall frame, much taller than her and around his neck was a Gryffindor tie.
A Gryffindor tie on a Gryffindor I do not recognise.
Oh, Merlin. Merlin! Had she gone into the future? He was clearly not in the years ahead of her but also not in the years beneath her.
So, I'm at least… What, four years into the future? Enough time for there to be a new batch of third years, she thought. Stay calm, stay calm, she told herself.
The boy in question had yet to utter a word. He zeroed in on her eyes and it appeared he had no intention of looking away. He took a deep breath and she saw something in his eyes shift.
What…?
He clearly could tell she was uneasy because he dropped his shoulders from their previously tense position -had they been hunched?- and relaxed a bit to make her comfortable.
"Were you on your way to class?" His voice was surprisingly deep, for someone who looked to be a third year. So young but with the voice of a young man, low, with some sand and yet obviously barely a glimpse of what it would become.
"I haven't seen you around." His voice, the one she'd been focusing on, took her out of her stupor. "What class do you have now?" He asked softly, he'd noticed he had startled her.
"I'm… I'm late for Arithmancy." Hermione's voice cracked, she had no idea what had taken over her.
"I didn't think there was Arithmancy on Fridays." His eyes were so intense, a complete disconnect from the softness of his voice and the casualness of his words.
Friday. It was Friday wher… whenever she was, she reasoned.
"Better be on my way. Don't want to be late." The words almost sounded like one big word, all jumbled up together. It took a second to look away from his captivating green eyes but she waited for no reply as she walked back into the empty classroom.
Immediately upon closing the door, the Time Tuner started to spin on its own accord faster even than last time, threatening to get loose of its hinges. Nausea and a splitting headache struck her as if she'd been slapped by a Giant.
A second, then two and it was over.
When she regained her breath and her head stopped pulsing she got up to her feet and took in her surroundings. The same empty classroom, a few of the chairs moved place. Had they been originally like that?
Oh, Merlin. Please, please tell me I didn't travel further into the future, she silently pleaded.
As she walked out of the classroom she ran head first into someone even taller than last time.
Why does this keep happening?!, she screamed internally.
"Miss Granger?" A female who knew who she was. Good signs.
Looking up she found herself looking into the eyes of Professor Vector.
"You're almost late for class, I was about to walk into the classroom myself." The Arithmancer's eyebrows were furrowed. Not such a good sign. "If I were you I'd try to get in before I do."
Not needing further prompting, Hermione scrambled to the door marked 7A.
Septima had heard great things about this student in particular. She'd also heard the little bookworm had a knack for finding trouble with her two best friends. Not knowing what to make of the pupil she went on to class, and decided only time would tell.